FreewareVista Great Freeware
Freeware and free trials, tips and resources

Spyware Protection & Handling

Probably nothing in the world of computers has caused at once as much consternation and commerce as Spyware and Adware. Frankly, these terrible two are responsible for a whole computer security industry segment. Plus, on the other side, much advertising occurs because of these little adware cookies that let advertisers know you're interested.

Actually, Adware and Spyware are new ill-defined issues, difficult from the start, since bringing interested buyers and sellers together is a time-honored tradition in any media - if people look at it or listen to it, someone wants to advertise on it. And, arguably, people to some extent "like" advertising, or at least find some value in it, since it provides a means of finding products or sales.

Where it gets sticky with computers is that the little piece of code that triggers ads is paced on your computer (by a website you visit). That's obviously not the case with TV, Radio, or Billboards, though, I suppose, one could argue that TV commercials "come into the home". In any event computers are new technology and with that comes new legal and ethical issues.

For the computer user, practically speaking, the issues with Spyware and Adware are: privacy concerns, computer performance concerns, and simple annoyance from popup ads. The upside of all this is, if you take reasonable precaution through the use of a few anti-spyware programs, in addition (of course) to keeping a firewall and anti-virus up to date, you should experience few difficulties. Don't forget to keep UAC on in Windows Vista. Good luck and good computing.

 

INFORMATION: Popups & Spyware

Hijack This information and forums

Spyware Informational Resources

Windows Defender - your first line of defense, quality free anti-spyware offering from Microsoft, runs unobtrusively, performs scheduled scans, nice animated taskbar icon ( go to 'Tools' - 'Options' for display and scan options), also includes a software explorer to view Startup and Running programs, Network connected programs, and Winsock Service Providers. Simple and effective program.

McAfee Site Advisor - displays unobtrusively as a small toolbar in Internet Explorer.  Evaluates search engine results and provides information (next to each result entry) as to the safety of site content, addressing issues such as questionable downloads (containing adware, spyware, etc.), amount of email to be expected from the site (spam), identifies phishing sites. The free version simply alerts to questionable sites whereas the paid version has a feature to block such contect from being accessed. To try it out go to any search engine and type "Screensavers", you will see in the list of results advices form McAfee Site Advisor as to the content to be expected from that site.

McAfee Site Advisor for Firefox

AdAware - quality product, check out the new VX2 Cleaner , an Add-on

Spybot - quality product. You may like this helpful tutorial

Spysweeper (Free Trial) - time honored and polished performer, high spy detection rate, detects rootkits. Select from 16 spy shields to provide real-time protection; including IE Favorites shield, IE Security Shield, IE Tracking Cookies shield, IE Hijack shield, IE Home Page shield, IE Search Page shield, Common Ad Sites shield, Hosts File shield, Memory shield, Spy Installation shield, ActiveX shield, Alternate Data Stream Execution (ADS) shield, Windows Messenger Service shield, Spy Communication shield, Startup shield, Browser Helper Object (BHO) shield.

AntiVir - Personal Edition Classic free for personal use. Utilitarian GUI with a polished feel and excellent detection capability across the malware spectrum, plus you have to love scans by 'Luke Filewalker'

Anti-Hook - intrusion protection operates on the Windows Kernel level. Protects against rootkits, keyloggers, spyware, trojans, and viruses based on code behavior, hence definition updates are not required. Complements existing firewall and anti-virus software. Guards against suspicious DLL's, BHO's, ActiveX, COM Objects, Kernel Device Drivers (Kernal Rootkits), Code Injection, System-wide Windows Hooks, and more.

Arovax Anti-Spyware - clean interface with smart scan and deep scan options. A nice addition to anyone's collection of anti-spyware tools. Cool yellow bug logo. See also the Arovax Shield for Intrusion Protection.

a squared

Bazooka Scanner - interesting little scanner

CounterSpy (Free Trial) - new version 2 has an all new detection engine designed for todays blended malware threats including rootkits, boot time detection roots out deeply embedded malware before Windows loads

CWShredder - now a TrendMicro product, locates and removes variants of the browser hijacker Cool Web Search (CWS)

Ewido

Ewido Online Scanner - online scan for trojans, spyware, keyloggers, dialers - uses activeX

Hijack This - Create "Hijack This" logs. Also check out this tutorial from WSC for help in evaluating logs. You may also want to get Silent Runners and Registrar Lite, to aid in hijack this handlings

Prevx - Intrusion detection software (IDS), provides an additional security layer - doesn't rely on signature files but instead detects possible attacks based on code behavior

Prevx Specific Vendors List - research companies who have installed files on your computer

Sana Security Primary Response Safe Connect (Free Trial) - provides an added layer of security in addition to traditional signature-based scanners. Uses Sana Security proprietary technology (active MDT) to detect a wide variety of threats including spyware, rootkits, trojans, hijackers, phishing, et. al.

SpyCatcher Express - from Tenebril, creators of SpyCatcher (Free Trial) and Ghost Surf (Free Trial). Note that Ghost Surf Platinum is an anonymity suite which includes SpyCatcher. SpyCatcher Express provides thorough spyware detection and removal and includes real time protectiom (a rarity in free anti-spyware products). Has the capability to remove or quarantine spyware/adware and, a nifty feature, places suspicious files in an "ask" category - SpyCatcher will then notify you when the suspicious file tries to run.

SpySites - Camtech 2000, simple freeware with a database of known spy sites - adds these to your restricted zone to prevent running ActiveX, Java Applets, JavaScript, Cookies, Homepage Hijack, etc. Be sure to get the Database update

Spyware Blaster - recommended for use with Spybot, blocks specific ActiveX, spyware cookies

Spyware Guard

TrendMicro - online spyware scanner, requires utility download

Webroot Spy Audit - online spyware scanner, requires utility download

Win Patrol

X-Ray PC

Yahoo Toolbar - with integrated scanner Anti-Spy (Norton powered)

INFORMATION: Spyware Warriors - comprehensive database regarding Rogue, Suspect and Clone Anti-Spyware utilities.